Stay my Blade
by calazar
Summary: AU. Conner watched his village burn and was carried away from his village in the arms of the most feared assassin hunter of the age. There he was raised by his father and the Templars.
1. Prologue: Kanatahséton

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Assassin's creed or it's characters. I do not own Selah, she belongs to The-Stupidest-Author-Ever.

A/N: thank you The-Stupidest-Author-Ever for beta reading this chapter for me.

Chapter One

Kanatahsehton 1760

I looked through the book that I had found in the longhouse. It was quite interesting. Suddenly, as I was reading, I heard footsteps behind him and immediately dropped the book and slid it under the table I was standing by with my foot. I turned around and saw my mother, Kaniehtí:io, walking towards me.

"Good morning, Mother." I said respectfully, hoping she hadn't seen the book, and more fervently hoping that she didn't put me to work for reading said book. Mother looked at me suspiciously.

"Hmmm… and what are you up to in here?" she asked.

"Nothing, I was… uh… I was only-" I said quickly before getting saved by one of my friends, Kanen'tó:kon.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton, come play with us!" he said, drawing Mother's attention away from me. "The others have gone hunting and the rest of us are bored."

I looked at Mother pleadingly, silently asking to go. She barely nodded in return and I walked out of the longhouse, not quite believing my luck. I should have known the spirits would ask for something in return.

"Go. But do not venture beyond the valley" Mother's voice warned as I joined Kanen'tó:kon.

We ran and caught up with the other children of the village. We all ran through the village without a care in the world. I listened as some of the elders complained about the ruckus we made or warned us not to venture to far away from the village. We arrived at our favorite meeting spot and tried to determine what game we would play now that we were out here.

"We could play tag." I suggested.

"No, you're too fast for the rest of us, Ratonhnhaké:ton." Kanen'tó:kon complained. "How about tackle the elk?"

"No, I got kicked in the head the last time we played that." Teiowí:sonte complained. "We could play Hide and Seek."

Everyone agreed to that and so Kanen'tó:kon picked up the set of sticks we used for picking who was it. He held the bundle out to each of us and we all took a stick. After comparing the sticks we found that Kahionhaténion, Teiowí:sonte's brother, was it for the first round. We all scattered as Kahionhaténion started to count to one hundred.

I hid in the bushes near a rock out cropping. I must've stepped in some wet dirt because Kahionhaténion found me in only a minute or two. I followed him around and tried to help him find the others. By the end of the game I had found two out of the five other hiders.

Most of us wanted to play another game and so Kanen'tó:kon picked up the sticks again. When all of the sticks were passed out the loser was me. So I turned and started to count to one hundred while all of the others scurried off.

"Enska, tékeni, áhsen, kaié:ri…" I counted with my eyes closed.

When I had reached "énska tewen'niáwe" I turned around and saw no signs of my friends. What I did see was a crushed leaf and a small indent left from a boot pointed in the direction I was facing. I walked a little further and noticed a bunch of bushes had been trampled. I followed them and found Kanen'tó:kon, crouching at the base of a cliff.

"You're too good at this." He complained. "Is there any game in which you don't completely oust us?"

After that it was relatively easy to find Kahionhaténion and Teiowí:sonte as they had chosen to hide right next to each other and were quietly arguing about which one of them would have to move.

"This is your fault." Teiowí:sonte scolded his brother as we went in search of the remaining three hiders.

"My fault? You were the one who hid right next to me." Kahionhaténion complained.

"Quiet!" I said "I'm listening." I knelt close to the ground, trying to hear the rustling of leaves I had thought I heard. Nothing. I eventually found two of the others but had to call out in the end.

"You win. Come on out." I raised my hands to my face to amplify the sound. Suddenly Atasá:ta jumped down from the trees.

"Ha-ha I win." He said laughing. "Let's play again!"

We all ran to the bundle of sticks and divvied them out one last time. This time Kanen'tó:kon was it. I ran over to a pile of leaves that was about as tall as me, taking care not to step in anything this time, and leapt in. In my hiding spot I could see and hear quite well. I watched for Kanen'tó:kon waiting to see my friend. But it wasn't my friend who found me. As I was watching for Kanen'tó:kon I heard a snap of twigs under foot and was then roughly drug from out of my hiding place and thrown to the ground a few feet away.

It was several of the coated white men who had been invading our lands, according to Mother. I quickly looked around at the six men and one woman. Each person wore something different. One wore a sickly green and brown coat, another, brown and white. One of the men wore the blue coat of the invaders that my mother had described. One of them wore a large red coat along with a chief shawl. Why would he wear one of those? One wore one of those strange triangular that the strange men favored. He wore nothing but various shades of blue. The final man wore a large black coat. It was so black it reminded me of the eyes of a rabbit I had caught not two days before. The woman wore a white coat that included a hood like what our shadow warriors would wear.

"What have we here?" asked the man wearing green and brown. He spoke not in my language but in the language of the invaders. Mother had taught me some of it, but I still had to struggle to understand it. The coat man was holding a long hollow stick to my face as he asked this.

"Church," The woman said sternly "we are here to help them not harm them." While they were talking I got up and tried to run away from them, only for the black one to tackle me to the ground.

"Try not to do that again little one. Some of them there wouldn't hesitate to kill you." He said as he got off of me. But it sounded weird; I had trouble putting the words to the correct translation. The man turned to the blue one who had yet to even look at me fully.

"Grandmaster, do you think this wise?" he asked in his strange way. "What's the likelihood of a mere child knowing anything about what we're looking for?" The brown and white one came over to where I was lying and leaned down to look at me.

"You look… familiar." He said. "Where have I seen you before?" Instead of answering him I spit some blood from where I had bitten my lip when the black one had tackled me to the ground in his face.

"That wasn't very nice." He sneered, wiping the blood off of his chin with his sleeve. Suddenly he grabbed my arm and started to drag me across the ground.

"Let me go!" I yelled in their tongue. Some of the men laughed. The black one looked like he didn't care, neither did the blue one. The woman looked a mix between furious and scared.

"Ha, look at that, 'e knows English." The one dressed like the invaders said. "Smart for a savage don' ya think" The one dragging me laughed at that, then hoisted me up to where I was several feet off of the ground.

"He's spirited too." He said as he held me against the trunk of a tree in a strangle hold. "Now, we have questions for you elders. Just tell us where you village is and we'll let you go."

Why would they want to talk with the elders? I could only think of forcing us to move off of our land and I wasn't going to help them make that happen. The red one came over to us and looked at me sadly.

"Best tell him where it is, boy. It's not worth your life." He said. I was starting to struggle to breathe has the brown and white man held my neck firmly, but maybe that was the point. My eyes flicked pleadingly over to the others. The woman started forward, only to be stopped by the black man.

"Let me handle this." I thought I heard him say quietly. He then walked over to the blue man, who had his back turned to us and looked as if he was just enjoying the scenery. The balck man spoke to him quietly.

"I could snap you neck you know." the brown and white man said, drawing my attention once again. "Just a little more pressure and-pop!-the sad little flame of your life extinguished. You are a nothing-a speck of dust. You and all your ilk. Living in the dirt like animals, oblivious to the true ways of the world. The wiser among you recognize the shape of the future. They throw themselves at our feet and BEG mercy."

By this point I was nearly unconscious, gasping for breath that would not come through the man's hold. The man continued, uncaring of my suffering.

"But not you, it seems. No, you cling desperately to your ways, too ignorant to know your folly." He said tightening his grip on my neck.

"That is enough, Charles!" The blue one said, dragging the brown and white man's arm away from my neck. This, in turn, caused the man to let go entirely, allowing me to drop to the ground and breathe again. I gasped, trying desperately to get air into my lungs. "We cannot help them if they are all dead, and killing the only one we have found will not help us help them."

He squatted down to where I was still gasping. As I looked at him his eyes widened.

"Ziio? No it cannot be," He said, shocked. He got up and turned to the others. "We need to find the village now. He is a child meaning they would not have let him wander far." At this point I fell unconscious, strained from lack of air.

"Shay, watch him and make sure he stays safe." That was the last thing I heard the blue man say before I went into the realm of dreams.

When I woke up I didn't see the men or the woman anywhere. What I did see, however, was lots of smoke. The air was thick with it. I got up, coughing. I knew what it was, a forest fire. I needed to get to the village, the fire had to be nearby and I needed to find the clan and warn them if they didn't already know. I ran. But as I approached the village I saw that it was not a forest fire but in fact the village itself was on fire.

"No!" I yelled, running faster now.

The air was filled with black smoke that made hard to breathe and see. I ran through the front entrance and looked around for Mother. I saw many people helping the wounded and the crippled but I did not see my mother.

"Mother?" I called out in our language. I passed the helpers and asked. "Have you seen my mother?" one of the pointed to one of the burning lodges and I ran in that direction.

As I was running the building started to collapse and a burning tree branch fell in front of me. I ran into the collapsed building and shifted a log so that I could get under it. I saw no sign of my mother. Where was she?

"Mother?" I called out. "Where are you?"

I ran through the longhouse remains and avoided several burning poles that had fallen down. At one point another lodge had exploded outward with the splinters nearly hitting me. I finally saw my family's longhouse and through the cracks in the boards I saw the back of my mother. I ran to her and pounded on the wood.

"Mother!" I yelled

"In here… Ratonhnhaké:ton." She yelled at me, coughing. I saw she was trapped under several poles which were slowly lighting on fire.

"I'm coming." I yelled. I ran around the lodge, praying to every spirit I knew that I would be able to save her. As I ran I noticed that the fire was getting larger, and drawing closer, but kept going.

As I ran around the building, the wall collapsed, narrowly missing me. I ran into the lodge and saw my mother buried under a pile of wood.

"Help us!" I yelled, praying that someone could hear me. I ran to Mother and tried to lift the logs off of her. "I'm here. I'm here. It's going to be fine!"

"No, Ratonhnhaké:ton, you must leave, now!" she said firmly, struggling to escape..

"No, not without you!" I screamed

"It's too late for that!" she yelled back. She reached through the logs and grabbed my hand. "You must be strong, Ratonhnhaké:ton. You must be brave." Even then I knew what those words meant.

"Stop it. Stop it!" I begged "I can get you out of here."

"You will think yourself alone. But know, I will be at your side, always and forever." She said sadly. Then she looked behind me. "Get him out of here!" That time she wasn't speaking our language she was speaking the invader's language. I turned around and saw the black man from the forest.

"Help me!" I begged him. "Help me save my mother."

"You can't save her, child. Can't you feel the heat?" he asked. Seeing that he wasn't going to help I turned back around and continued to try and lift the logs. He grabbed me around the stomach and hauled me away from Mother.

"No! Stop! Let me Save her!" I yelled at him. The entire longhouse collapsed then and I stopped using his language. "Ista!"

"I love you" I heard her say. The man carried me out of the burning village and away from my people.

"Where are you taking me? Let me go." I yelled

"I can't do that." He replied quietly "Haytham told me to keep you safe. So I'm taking you to the manor."

I kept struggling until he threatened to put me out until we got there. I stopped as I didn't know what he meant. He carried me for several hours then he stopped and set me down.

"Alright, we're here." He said. By "here" he meant at a giant stone longhouse.

"This is Kenway Manor, previously the Davenport Manor." The black man said as he walked up to the door of the building.

I followed him in and he found me a chair and set it up in the middle of a room off to the left. I sat in the chair, ready to spring out of it at a moment's notice.

"Wait there while I figure out what to do with you." The man said. He then walked out of the room, pinching the bridge of his nose. It took less than five minutes for him to return. In which time I had already checked all of the holes in the walls to see if I could get through them.

"Alright then, I suppose we'll just wait for the grandmaster." The man decided after finding a chair of his own.

We waited for half an hour. Neither of us said anything. I was trying to find a way to get out of there. And the man, he was watching me. When the others arrived I honestly couldn't tell which of us was more relieved. The man got up and talked to the blue man. The blue one nodded and came towards me.

"What is your name?" he asked me.

"Ratonhnhaké:ton." I spat. "Now let me go return to my village." He looked at me, confused as I wasn't speaking his language.

"What?" he asked.

"My name is Ratonhnhaké:ton." I repeated, this time in his language. "Now let me go."

"I cannot do that I'm afraid." He said. "Your mother is dead and your village burned to the ground."

"Because of you!" I screamed at him. "you set fire to my village and now you won't let me go back to it!" the man sighed.

"My name is Haytham Kenway. I plan to take care of you." He said. "it will be easier if you know what is going on so I will tell you. Me and my colleagues were trying to save your village, not burn it to the ground. The blame for that atrocity belongs to General Washington. I met your mother several years ago and I helped her get rid of a man named Braddock. He was capturing your people and enslaving them. I put a stop to it."

I glared at him, wishing my mother hadn't told me the stories of my father.

"I see that you are starting to understand. Good. I will take care of you and train you in the ways of my organization. After that you will be free to leave as you see fit. Until that time I would like it if you stayed here with me." The man said.

I slowly nodded. I wouldn't be a burden to the village. Without Mother I would not have anyone to look after me and others would have to provide for me and I would not be of assistance until I was fifteen at least. The man could keep me until then then I could return to the village to help them in any way.

"Good." The man said. He turned to the assembled mass of people and waved his hand. They all came into the room. "Gentlemen," he nodded at the woman from before. "my dear, this is my son. He will be staying with us for the time being, that said, he should probably know our names."

The black man nodded. "My name is Shay Cormac, pleased to make your acquaintance."

The red man inclined his head. "William Johnson, good to see you alive, child."

The woman stepped forward. "My name is Selah."

The brown and green man held his hands behind his back. "Benjamin Church

The invader tipped his hat downward. "My name is Thomas Hickey, at your service."

The brown and white one grimaced and nodded. "Charles Lee." Finally Haytham turned back to me.

"Now that we are all acquainted let us get on with our business." He said "There is a room up the stairs and to the left that you can use. Shay, goodnight."

 _Nine years later_

I awoke from the dream that had haunted me since that night. The night that my mother had died. Haytham had raised me from then on. And Shay had trained me. I knew how to disappear into a crowd, how to kill from afar, among other things. I had still retained what I had learned in my village and knew how to track and hunt.

I had survived and now I would be joining Haytham and his colleagues in their work for that day was the day I found out who to kill to avenge the burning of my village and the murder of my mother.


	2. Chapter 1: Recon

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story. All characters belong to Ubisoft.

A/N: for this chapter Connor wears the Colonial Outfit, without the weird hat. For future reference I pronounce Connor's native name like Ra-doon-ha-gay-don

Chapter Two

The Kenway Manor 1769

I slid out of the bed that I had occupied for the last nine years of my life. I walked over and pulled on the fine yellow-green uniform that Haytham had gotten for me. I had no weapons as the others did, as I had no need for them at the time. I turned and looked at the yellow flag Shay had given me as gift after a particularly brutal combat training session that had left me bedridden for a day. He had said that he had won it through his strength in battle and that I should take it to have the same strength he had had. It was a simple design, just a dark golden yellow with a blade-like symbol dominating the center of the flag. I walked out of my room and down the stairs to the front of the house and through the door

I walked to the front of the lawn where Shay was supposed to be waiting for me, he wasn't there. It was unlike him to be late for our training. It was a sunny day, with the sounds of the birds chirping everywhere. It was a fine day for hunting. Upon looking around I decided to search for him. I walked around the manor, admiring its unnatural beauty. Haytham had made several changes to the manor during my time there. Nothing too noticeable, a room here and there, but changes nonetheless. I eventually found Shay standing out by the river with Haytham. They were both looking out at the river that flowed past the manor.

"What do you think, Shay? Dam it?" I heard Haytham say as I approached

"No, sir," Shay replied as I stood behind them, waiting. "I think we should leave it as it is. That way we can hire people build us a dock and perhaps give the boy a ship of his own. The river could attract many people, sir, if we let them. We could use it to start up some sort of business for the colonists who can't find jobs. That would make them sympathetic to our cause. In my opinion, damming it would be a waste of resources and potential."

"Valid points, Shay. Ever the peoples champion I see," Haytham replied before turning around and looking at me. "Ah, son. You've arrived."

"I see you are still in the habit of stating the obvious, Father," I replied, holding my arms behind my back, a sign of respect according to Haytham. I had grown more accustomed to their language over the years and now spoke it with little difficulty.

"Yes, so it seems," He replied, mimicking my pose. "We have need of your talents before you join our cause. Selah has everything you need to know. Until then you might want to consider coming up with a name that us colonists can pronounce, as you will be traveling to Boston for your mission."

I nodded and turned to go before I thought about the conversation I had overheard. I turned back around, frowning in confusion.

"Father," I asked, "why would you want to block the river? Surely you realize that if you stop it from flowing, the nature spirits will become angry and vengeful against you. Also have you not realized that the fish that I catch comes from this river?" Haytham frowned in irritation.

"Go, meat with Selah," He said, ending the discussion. I turned and walked back to the manor. As I was walking back to the house I saw Selah leaning against the door frame, a small smirk on her face.

"So, what was it this time?" she asked as I approached, her voice teasing. I looked at her quizzically. "You only make that particular expression of discomfort when someone affronts your spirits. So what was it this time? It was the Grandmaster wasn't it?" S

She was following through the house now, towards the place where the former owners of the house had hidden the secret staircase.

"Haytham told me you had the details on what we are doing," I said before she could continue. She nodded and pulled the candle holder on the wall by the secret door. We walked down the stairs and Selah led me through the room and to a table by the wall. On the table were maps of several towns near the manor.

"Our assignment is finding a man," Selah said.

"Could you be more specific, please?" I said. Selah laughed.

"Gladly," She replied. "This man we're looking for has been a major pain in our organization's side. He and his followers have stopped us at every turn in our efforts to heal the turmoil that has been brewing between the colonists and Parliament. Our spies tell us that he will be in Boston for the next week or so. You're good at tracking so I requested that you join up with me for this mission." She had been pointing at a hand drawn picture of a man in merchant's clothing as she was talking. "We'll need to split up to cover more ground. If you do find him do not confront him. Find me and let me deal with it. Any questions?"

"Is that all? Find this man and then report to you?" I asked. This seemed too easy.

"Yes, that is all," Selah said, nodding.

"Let us go, then. I wish to finish this quickly," I said as I walked towards the stairs.

Selah stood up straight from her positions of leaning over the table and followed me. As we walked out of the manor, Selah passed me and led me to the carriage that was waiting out in front of the house. We climbed in and the driver set off.

* * *

It took a couple hours to reach the city. And when we got there Selah got out of the carriage and beckoned for me to follow. I got out and followed her through the streets. It much more crowded than I expected. The buildings sprawled as far as I could see with several trees visible from where I stood.

"Come on," Selah said, "the sooner we get moving, the sooner you can get back home."

I nodded and looked at the buildings. I immediately saw what I was looking for, a church tower with a good view of the entire city. It even had a small platform that Selah could stand on, while I could crouch on the cross. I rushed to the nearest building that I thought would be relatively easy to climb, ignoring Selah's complaint as I pushed past her to get to my goal. I ran up a tipped over cart that was next to the building, jumped off of it and onto a lamp rail. I then jumped to another one and climbed up the building, grabbing onto the edge of the roof and pushing myself onto the top of the roof.

I ran along the rooftops, jumping from building to building. A soldier saw me and yelled at me to get down but I just ran faster. I kept running and jumping until I reached the church tower I had seen. I heard footsteps behind me and I turned, expecting to see the soldier. What I saw instead was Selah looking more than a little cross with me. Instead of waiting for her to scold me, I turned back around and grabbed onto one of the decorative beams that was just slightly above my head.

I kept climbing making my up the tower by jumping from handhold to handhold. When I finally reached the top I climbed onto the cross that sat on the very top of the tower. I crouched down, to keep my balance in the winds, and waited for Selah to get here. When she arrived she looked murderous.

"Get down here, Ratoontahaygon," She hissed up at me. She had never been able to pronounce my name properly, but in all fairness none of the other white men could either. "Or I will push you off this tower myself."

"Think for a second, Selah. It would be unwise to kill me now. You do not even know where your target is," I said reasonably. I waited until she stopped looking ready to shoot me with one of her pistols. "I brought us up here because it has a good view of the surrounding area. Your target is supposed to be in this city. I cannot track him in the city and it is too big a ground to cover on foot. So we get bird's eye views until we find him." Selah nodded and began to look down on the streets. I looked down on the opposite side of the tower.

We separated after an hour of looking from the tower. I went to the east and Selah went to the west. I looked for several hours before I saw anything promising. A man that looked like the picture that Selah had shown me. He was walking around with four guards trailing him, shouting about how much the British soldiers needed to leave.

"They treat us like dogs. But do you stand up to them? No! You act like you do not mind them. Did the taxes from three years ago not teach you enough? What of the soldiers that invade our lives?" he shouted as he walked down the street.

"I cannot report anything to Selah if I do not know where he resides." I muttered to myself before I crawled down the building.

I followed the man through the city, keeping to the shadows of the buildings. I listened as he spouted his arguments against the British. We must have passed into a militarized area because as I was shouted at by one of the mercenaries that was patrolling, drawing the attention of my quarry. He turned around and watched me as I backed away from the mercenary. He looked as if he were watching a show. I crouched down ready to fight my out if need be.

I had no weapons so I tried that disarm move that Shay had taught me a few weeks ago on the man's musket. I grabbed at his arm with the intent of twisting it painfully but the mercenary stepped out reach and slammed the butt of his musket into my face. My vision blurred. I staggered, holding my hand to my head.

"Finish him," My prey commanded. "But leave him alive. I want to see what he knows."

The mercenary made to stab at me with the bayonet and I moved my hands to block his swipe. He saw my movement and smirked before quickly whipping the gun farther and faster than I expected, bringing the butt of the gun straight into my unprotected head. My already blurry vision turned into complete black as I passed out.

* * *

"What do you mean you lost him?" Haytham asked Selah several hours later in the manor.

They were in the room that Ratonhnhaké:ton had sat while he and Shay waited for Haytham and the others nine years ago. Haytham stood with his arms crossed with a table at his back that had been moved into the room two years ago when Shay had taught Ratonhnhaké:ton indoor fighting. Selah stood across from him chewing on her fingernails in between sentences. Shay leaned against the door frame, listening to the conversation and casually flicking his hidden blade on his right arm in and out, checking to make sure the thin pieces were still aligned properly.

"I mean that we split up to make better time in locating the Assassin and after several hours of searching for the target, I went looking for Ratoontahaygon and couldn't find him." Selah said worriedly, going back to gnawing on her nails immediately after. Haytham sighed.

"Did you have an assigned meeting point?" he asked

"Yes, of course," Selah replied, as it was obvious.

"Grandmaster, I do want to point out that the boy has only been in a city environment a few times," Shay said from his spot, before tapping his hidden blade case with his dagger then listening to the tune it made. "It is very possible that he wouldn't know where to go or how to act in a situation that left him exposed."

"An interesting thought, Shay." Haytham said.

"Wait, he wouldn't know how to act if he got exposed, right?" Selah asked. "What if he got exposed, by the Assassin?"

"Then he would most likely try to fight his way out," Shay said, sheathing his dagger and going back to flicking his blade and shaking his head slightly. "His native pride won't let him do anything else. If he was going against highly trained soldiers then he's either dead or captured."

"We have to get him back," Selah said, determined to rescue who she considered her brother.

"We can't launch a full scale assault against the Assassin. What we can do, however, is send somebody in to get him." Haytham said. Shay looked at the Grandmaster. "Shay, how far have you gotten in the boy's training in stealth and pursuit?"

"Not far, Grandmaster." Shay replied, retracting his blade and keeping it there. "He knows the basics, but he wouldn't make it far in an area that is closely watched. He forgets to look around." Haytham nodded, considering the options.

"We'll go after him," He said. "Selah, my dear, you will search the city with me. Shay, you will go after the fort that the Assassins have built. Is that agreeable?" Both Templars nodded resolutely. "Good, I trust that you will not disappoint."

"We don't plan to, Grandmaster." Shay said, mimicking a conversation that had happened years ago.

* * *

"Wake up, boy." I heard somebody command as I opened my eyes. My head ached as I sat up from my spot on the stone floor.

I looked around at my surroundings. Not an easy feat I assure you, as my vision was blurry from the blows I had received to my head. I was in a small cell with only a small cot that looked liable to collapse at any moment everything else was made of wooden, save for metal bars to make up the cell. Outside of the cell was a small wooden room. I looked down at myself and saw that the uniform that had looked reasonably nice this morning was now in tatters. Normally I wouldn't have cared except that Haytham had told me to take care of it.

"Oi, get over here," said the voice.

I turned and saw a man in hooded white robes that had blue stripes going down the edges of the front. He wore a red, cross strap with a leather belt over it. On it sat the same silver symbol that the flag in my room had, along with two holsters with flintlock pistols resting in them, as well as a sword on the side, tucked under the leather. His belt also contained a couple of pouches. On his left arm he wore a dark leather bracer that had a piece of metal attached to the underside of his arm that glinted whenever he turned it into the sparse light. Under his robes he wore a dirty white button up shirt. To finish off the outfit he wore blue, army like, pants and boots.

I walked over to the bars and crossed my arms. The man was unimpressed by my stare.

"This is how it's going to go," he said fiercely. "I will ask you a question and you will answer me."

"Very wel,l let us get this over with," I said, shifting my weight from foot to foot.

"Are you in league with the Templars?" the man asked.

"No." I said monotonously

It went on like this for hours. The man only wanted to know about the Templars, whatever they were. So he would ask me a question after question and I would answer. None of his questions even remotely came close to anything in my life so I told him what I knew.

Eventually the man left and I moved over to the cot before nudging it with my foot, it didn't break. Deciding to test my luck I sat on the wooden cot and landed on the ground as it promptly broke under my weight. So I sat on the floor and waited.

It wasn't until the next morning that any opportunity presented itself. That opportunity came in the form of an incredibly stupid guard. He strutted into the room that morning and set a tray of food on the floor in front of my cage. This in itself wouldn't have been so bad but the man just stood there and then started to boast, as if he was the one who ensured my capture.

"Yep, you went down like a sack a rocks when you were captured." he said leaning against the bars of the cell. "I didn' know a man could drop that fast but once you was hit upside the 'ead, woo wee you sure proved me wrong." He laughed a little at that.

I crawled over to the bread which the man was standing by and in a swift movement, reached through the bars and pulled his legs out from under him. He fell to the ground and hit his head with a crack. I smirked and dragged his body over to me and grabbed the keys that the man had. I then unlocked the door and searched the man for anything of use. All I found was a worn, dull hatchet and a small knife. The man had not kept them in good condition but they were blades and it was all I had. I slid the hatchet and knife under my belt on opposite sides.

I walked out of the door and made my way down the wooden hallway. I saw no one which was good as I wanted to get out of there quickly. But I heard muffled voices down a hall on my left. I slid up against the left side wall and stood still.

"We should burn that hovel to the ground. Why didn't it work the first time." the white hooded man said to an older man with dark skin as they walked down the hall, never noticing me.

The old man was limping behind the hooded man, whom I assumed was his apprentice. He wore a white over coat and an old tattered hat that covered his face. He wore black cotton pants and stockings that were fashionable in England, according to Lee. He carried a wooden cane that he hobbled around on, taking pressure off of his right leg.

"Because that is their sacred land, they wouldn't ever consider leaving it. Why must you go through with this, Richard?" the old man asked. "Relations with the tribe have only worsened. Please cease this folly before you end up dead like all the others. It is not our way. Leave the burning and pillaging to the Templars."

"You are a fool, old man," Richard seethed. "You are blinded by your own failures. I will make this Brotherhood one to remember. But to do that I need access to that precursor site."

The old man shook his head and followed his student down the hall. I stood still and listened for any other noises. After hearing nothing for several minutes, I quietly walked down the hall. I made several wrong turns but still could not find the way out. I eventually I was back where I started, utterly confused. I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and saw a mercenary soldier.

"What are you doin' here?" he asked, his musket raised. I drew the hatchet and knife, more than ready to fight.

I said nothing as I swung at him with the axe. He blocked it with his musket and then swung at me. I blocked with the knife and then swung the axe around to where it sliced through half of his throat, spraying blood on the walls. No use in hiding now. As soon as another guard came they would see the blood. I ran down the hall way that I had seen the old man and Richard go down. As I did I ran past a group of four mercenaries that shouted as I pushed past them. I ran through the halls pushing everyone who was in my way out of it. I eventually found a door that led outside. Only when I did, there was Richard and the old man, standing behind an entire regiment of mercenaries.

"There he is, boys. Go get him," Richard said to the mercenaries as the old man looked on disapprovingly.

I drew the borrowed axe and knife and waited for one of them to make a move. One of the mercenaries complied to my wishes and stepped forward. He swung his two-handed axe at my head with only one hand. I started to roll out of the way but before I knew it I was hit in the head with, luckily, the back side of the axe.

Another one stepped forward and swung his musket at me. I dispatched him with relative ease, burying my hatchet into his head then ramming the knife into the man's eye to wrench the axe free. After that my body reacted on its own. Blocking the soldiers' strikes and then killing them swiftly, though I never did manage to roll under the brutes' axes. So I just stuck to jumping out of the way and then pulling them into the line of fire when the firing squad that had form in the back near Richard shot at me.. After ten minutes of heavy fighting all that was left was the firing squad and a single axe-wielding soldier.

"Well, you sure are impressive." Richard said. "Guess you are working with the Templars, after all."

"I do not know who you are talking about." I said, jumping backwards to avoid the axe that would have sliced me in half.

"Ready… aim…" the firing squad leader yelled. I pulled the axe-wielding man in front of me just as the leader shouted, "Fire!" The man shook as he was riddled with bullets. I then threw myself towards the line, rolled forward and buried the hatchet into the leader's spine. I saw Richard and the old man striding away from the battle. Richard looked like he was sure I would die. The soldiers broke their line and two of them attacked me, drawing my attention away from the two men.

One swung while the other one charged at me, bayonet leveled. I dodged the swing which made the charging mercenary get hit in the back of the head with the butt of the first one's guns, sending him sprawling on the ground. I then slammed the axe I carried into the first mercenary's face and moved his body in front of me as the charging one tried had rolled over and tried to shoot me. The shot hit the first one, killing him instantly. I then ran over to the sprawled soldier and buried the axe into his chest. I stood up and saw that the other soldiers were gone, fleeing back to the fort killed… or by Shay who stood watching my performance.

"You saw?" I asked

"Aye," He replied. "Well done, lad. Now come on, let's get you to the Grandmaster." It was at this time that I could really view where I had been fighting.

We were standing at the top of a small hill that had a small dirt road leading down into Boston. All around us were the bodies of the mercenaries I had killed. Behind me was a stone fort that was at least two stories high. I looked at Shay as he started to pat down the bodies of the dead, as I had not followed him yet. I buried the hatchet and the knife into the body of the last man I had killed. Their owner would be waking up soon. Better he be armed when his superiors learned what happened.

"We should return their spirits to the Great Mother." I said to Shay.

"Aye, we should, but we won't," he replied. I started to object. "Listen we have approximately two minutes before the next shift comes. If we are found here praying for the dead we will be shot on sight. Now come on." We ran down the trail and back into Boston.


	3. Chapter 2: Boston 1769

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story. All characters belong to Ubisoft unless otherwise stated.

Thank you The-Stupidest-Author-Ever for beta-ing and partially co-writing this with me.

A/N: from the manor onward Connor is wearing an outfit similar to his attire in the Ben Church mission

A/N 2: I am posting this around the same time as, or at least on the same day as, The-Stupidest-Author-Ever is posting her new chapter for Fallen Eagle, sequel to Crossed Eagle. It is an awesome story and I highly recommend searching for it and reading it before you read my story. Go on, this chapter is not a limited time offer. You _can_ come back... you done? Good! Let's get started then. Enjoy!

Chapter 3

Sequence 1: Boston 1769

We walked down the hill to Boston. Shay was on his guard constantly, as if he expected somebody to drop from the sky. The sky was starting to darken as we made it to the city, the sun hiding behind the buildings. There were very few people in the streets. A direct opposite of what it had been the previous day. I looked around at the people and saw them avoiding me, some running away at the sight of me. I wondered why that was before I considered that I had just been in heavy battle, my clothes were probably coated with blood. An unpleasant sight even in if I was in my village.

"Wait here, lad," Shay said as we neared the edge of the buildings. "They might still be after us."

I wondered if he meant the mercenaries from the fort. Regardless I scanned the tops of the buildings, looking for anything that might warn me of attackers. I felt myself shifting into a combat stance that would allow me to react to most things that I might encounter with soldiers. Shay's eyes glazed over slightly and he started acting like he was listening to something that I couldn't hear.

"We're safe for now," Shay said after a few seconds of this. "Come on, lad. The others should be waiting for us."

I nodded and we walked down the wide street with Shay glancing down alleys and at tops of buildings. Occasionally Shay would tell me to stop and disappear off of the main road for a second. He would always return from a different direction than the one he left the road from. At one of these times my curiosity got the better of me.

"Where do you go when you leave the main road?" I asked as Shay returned from a side alley.

"I go looking for bandits, lad," he replied. "That reminds me-have you thought of a good name for yourself?"

"No, I have not," I replied. "My thoughts have been on other things recently." Shay chuckled at that. "Shay, at the fort, there were two men that seemed responsible for my capture,"

"Oh, and who would that be?"

"One was a tall man who robes robes and wielded many weapons. I believe his name was Richard," I said. "The other was much older. His skin was dark, like the slaves in the market. He limped, though, as if it was difficult to walk."

Immediately Shay looked uncomfortable, his shoulders tensing. He rounded on me, a furious look in his eyes.

"Are you sure, lad? Not a trick of the light or anything like that?"

"I'm certain," I replied, shaking my head. "He leaned heavily on a cane and walked slowly because of it."

Shay shook his head. "Achilles…"

"Who?" I asked.

"My… My former teacher. He-he was good man, but we didn't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things."

I thought of Richard, who was obviously the man's pupil, only to have a reckless and arrogant demeanor. I also remembered he argued with Achilles. Was Shay saying he was once the same? And why would he stay with such a man?

"What made you leave him?" I asked.

"I rather not discuss it," Shay said, looking away with a shake of his head. Suddenly he looked back at me, but his eyes were distant. "He had a son, Connor. He died at young from a fever. You're… much like him."

"What do you mean?" I asked

"Connor was… headstrong, stubborn to a fault. He was the pride and joy of Achilles," Shay said, rubbing his chin uncomfortably. "It hit Achilles hard when he died."

"It sounds like he was a formidable warrior," I said watching the side alleys for movement.

"Aye, he would have been," Shay, said nodding sadly.

"That's what I'll be called then," I said. "Connor."

"You're certain?" Shay asked, a dark look in his eyes.

"Very," I confirmed, nodding.

After this we walked down the street, remaining cautious of any attackers. After several minutes of this Shay stopped glancing and walked normally, that is until he was tackled to the ground by a dirty white and black blur that fell from the roof of a nearby building.

"Too slow, old man," a voice said as the blur fell. Shay collapsed before shoving his assailant over, rolling with her and bringing up his left arm so as to strike her with his wrist blade. He stopped when he realized that it was Selah, who was chuckling.

"Goodness, Selah," he exclaimed as he rolled off of her. "Don't do that, I could have killed you." Selah stood up, brushed herself off, and wiped some of her long hair out of her eyes.

"Relax, old man," she said as she checked to make sure that all of her gear was still in place. "You haven't killed me yet."

She turned to me and hugged me forcefully. Catching me unprepared, she very nearly knocked both of us over. She hugged me for a few seconds before she stepped back with a stern look on her face.

"I thought I said do not engage the target and report his location to me," she scolded.

"I did not mean to stray from the plan, Selah," I said, bowing my head slightly. "When I found your target he was walking through the streets of the city, nowhere near his goal." Selah considered my words before nodding.

"A reasonable response, but you're not off the hook just yet," she said before turning and walking through the near empty streets. "Come on, let's get to Haytham."

We followed her through the streets until we came to a large brazier that was sitting in the middle of a small fort-like structure. It was entirely made of wood. It had several rooms built into the sides of the walls. I noticed one that had a small wooden box with a few coins scattered around it, several maps and a sheet of paper with a long list on it. Shay seemed very comfortable here, like we were back at the manor. He walked into the room and leaned over the charts, talking to one of the red suited soldiers that patrolled the area.

I found an unoccupied room and sat on the floor, thinking of what had happened during my absence from my father and his colleagues.

" _We should burn that hovel to the ground,"_ Richard had said. " _Why didn't it work before?"_

The only thing that I knew of that could be considered a hovel to any of the colonials that had been burned recently was my village. But that couldn't be right. It had burned years ago. There would be no point in waiting so long to force my people's hand once more, if that was what it had been.

I sat with my back resting against the wooden wall for a while. Nobody disturbed me, until Selah came and found me. She sat next to me, watching me out of the corner of her eye.

"So… your big day got spoiled. But it was interesting," she said

"Yes. It was, but I cannot stop thinking," I said. "The man who questioned me, he talked about burning a hovel. I have wondering if he meant my village. But the more I think about it the less likely it seems." Selah looked away from me and seemed to be considering my words.

"Well, Haytham is here. We should probably talk to him and see what he thinks," she said getting up from her spot. "If we can determine if what you heard is correct then we can act on it."

I nodded and got up. We walked out of the small room and I followed her to the courtyard of the structure. Haytham was standing by the brazier watching the coals burn. As we walked behind him he turned to us. Without warning he marched forward, a fire in his eyes.

"Follow Selah and do as you're told! Was that too hard for you to follow?" he snarled. "Do you realize that you could have undone years of work or worse been killed?"

"Father, when I found the target he was nowhere near where he would have been staying," I explained, trying to remain calm. "I thought I might follow him and then report his location to Selah."

"Oh, I expected naiveté, but this…" he sighed angrily. "We do not go in halfcocked and hope for the best."

"What would you have me do?" I yelled in his face. "Report back saying that I saw him in the street then left to go tell Selah? Or perhaps you would have liked me to have killed him then and there? With no weapons of any kind and going against what Selah told me to do."

"Grandmaster, you wanted to see me," Shay said, stopping me from doing something that I would have regretted.

"Ah, Shay," Haytham said turning away from me. "Apparently Selah has something that might interest us." She stepped forward, flicking her eyes to me as she passed me.

"I saw two Assassins walking through the town. One looked like Achilles and the other I didn't recognize. They were making their way through town just before Shay and Ratoontahaygon came through," she reported. "On another note, Ratoontahaygon said that the person who questioned him in the fort talked about burning something. He thinks that it might be his village but he is unsure."

Shay looked thoughtful but Haytham was smirking slightly. He shook his head and pulled out a small envelope.

"The order was already given," he said. "But rest assured I took the liberty of stopping the messenger. Your village is safe, for the present, at least. Now what really concerns me is that the Assassins have been able to regroup in such a small amount of time."

"This is irrelevant right now, Grandmaster," Shay said shaking his head. "What is relevant is that we get the lad here back to the manor. I think his initiation has been put off long enough." Selah nodded in agreement almost without hesitation.

"Very well. Let's proceed back to the manor," Haytham said, appearing to be in a much better mood.

We waited by the brazier while Shay walked to the chart room, saying that he needed to get something. Once he returned we waited for the carriage that Haytham said would be arriving soon.

* * *

It was a great relief to finally be back at the manor. I walked to the house and went to my room. I changed out of the now tattered yellow suit and put on a comfortable brown outfit that would normally be accompanied by a tricorn hat. I very nearly went to sleep after that but instead sat on my bed, thinking. Last morning I was so excited for this moment, the moment I was to start my official training for Haytham's order. Now I was in the same predicament the only thing that had changed was the worry I felt for my village. Richard did not seem like person who would give up so easily. But maybe he would, it appeared that only the Spirits knew the answers to my questions.

"Connor, come on down, we have something for you," Shay called from the bottom of the stairs.

I got up and walked down the stairs and followed Shay into the dining room. Only to find that it had been transformed. The blinds had been closed to where next to no light in the room except for several candles that had been set up on the table and lit. All of Haytham's associates were present, even John Pitcairn and the new recruit Nicholas Biddle, grouped around the table in a blockish semi-circle. On the end of the table sat a bunch of papers with writing or maps on them.

"Take a look, son," Haytham said from the other head of the table. I looked at the papers and saw charts showing the movement of troops around my village. "It was a man named Washington, and his soldiers, who burned your village, at the behest of the Assassins. They came to your village and burned it for nothing more than information about something that your people hold sacred."

I looked at the papers. The troop movement matched everything Haytham had just said. They were not hostile, more to just surround the area than anything else. Some of the papers told of how my tribe had conversed with Washington and his soldiers, but had refused to talk about the Atonhnhetshera Ó:kwire*. The reports were rather short but they had enough information for me to determine the general idea of what the soldiers had gathered.

"You have been training so that you could protect your village from outside threats." Hytham spoke up once more. "Our organization seeks peace and justice all throughout the world. Our enemies, the Assassins, seek to send the world hurtling into chaos. They started with your village and now are looking to start a war between the British and the Colonists."

I looked at him curiously. Richard meant to burn my village to the ground, only to gain access to our sacred land. How much more chaos would the Assassins cause just to start a war?

"I do not understand," I said. "Why burn our village? We had no part in the war between the British and the French."

"Because the Assassins were allied with the French during the war and they saw all of the native people as hostile, except for the Maliseet who allied with them," Shay explained. "They feared that the tribes might join this fight so they broke their spirit long beforehand." I nodded. It made sense, in a way.

"We want you to join our order and put a stop to the Assassins before this conflict gets out of hand," Haytham said. "And prevent the loss of more innocent lives in the process."

Several others nodded from their spots around the long table. My mind was already made up however.

"I accept," I said solemnly.

"Excellent!" Haytham said as he drew a ring out of his pocket and walked around the table to me. He slid it onto my ring finger. It was a simple design, silver with a red cross occupying the top. "Connor, do you swear to uphold the principles of our order and all that for which we stand?" I understood the question. Do you understand what you're signing up for?

"I do," I said. Haytham nodded then continued.

"And to _never_ reveal our secrets nor divulge the true nature of our work?" Can we trust you?

"I do," I repeated

"And to do so from now until _death_ , whatever the cost." Are you committed?

"I do," I said for the final time that day.

"You are a Templar," Haytham said. "Or, an apprentice Templar. Shay will still train you but now we can begin to work in earnest. May the father of understanding guide us."

"May the father of understanding guide us," the others repeated.

With permission from Haytham, I left the room. I walked down into the secret room, hoping no one would find me. They didn't, but Selah did.

I was sitting in the back corner of the room, looking at the desk where I had talked with Selah the day before. The biggest questions of my life were finally answered but now they were replaced by even bigger ones. Am I capable of killing cold heartedly? Would my village survive my actions? Would I?

Selah casually walked down the stairs, her eyes scanning the room like she did whenever she entered a new environment. She quickly spotted me and walked over to me. She crouched down to where she was eye level with me.

"So, you're an apprentice. What now?" she asked.

"I do not know, Selah," I replied, leaning my head back against the wall. "If I returned to my village now, they would not recognize me. They would say I had become one of the colonists." I gestured to the suit that I wore as I said this, to illustrate my point. "I wish to protect them from the wrath of outsiders but I fear that in my time here I may have become one myself."

Selah sat next to me for the second time that day and mimicked my pose. Her weapons clinked as she sat down.

"Well, I wouldn't know," she sighed. "What I do know is that if you want to protect your people the best way to do that is to stop the colonists. Not the Assassins so much, just the colonists. Because it's them that will want to get rid of your people. When the walls of the city constrict, when there're crops that need soil. That's when the colonists will turn on your people."

"So I must kill all of them?" I asked. "Why not just cripple them to where they couldn't harm my people any longer?"

"Because no matter how badly you cripple them they will always get up again to fight us," Selah sighed. "We've learned that the hard way." I sighed, not liking the duty that had been tasked to me.

"They all must die then, even Achilles?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Especially Achilles, he's probably the one holding the whole thing together." Selah replied sadly as if she were sad about the old man's future passing.

 _Six months Later._

So I trained, in the philosophy of the Templars, in advanced combat techniques, in faster climbing, in falling gracefully. And for every lesson that I was taught, there were two from my village I perfected. Hunting, tracking, archery. Shay taught me in much the same way as before my induction but the lessons were longer, more combat oriented. By then end of the first month I was able to take on three combatants at once and be victorious. I was progressing in leaps and bounds. But for all my work and progress, Shay said I still had much to learn before I was ready. And I knew he was right.

It was by the end of the sixth month as a Templar before anything interesting happened. I walked out of the house on that cold winter morning and saw Shay sitting at the reins of a carriage that sat in front of the house.

"Good morning." I greeted. "Are you going on a trip?" Shay chuckled.

"Not quiet," He replied. "The Grandmaster has decided for me to do something about your weaponry, or lack of it more aptly, and you're coming. Get in," he pointed over his shoulder at the carriage with his thumb. I climbed into the cart and Shay pulled us out towards the city.

* * *

When we arrived I jumped out and waited for Shay to do the same. I looked around at the city. It had changed since I was last there, with snow lightly covering the buildings and ground. Shay walked up behind me and prodded my arm to let me know he was ready.

"Come on," he said walking down the road, much like he had six months ago. "There's a store close to here. The owner is a confident and knows of our cause. He should be able to help you get what you need. Tell him where the carriage is and he'll see that it's loaded. Understand?" I nodded.

"Where are you going?" I asked as Shay walked in the opposite direction of where I was facing. "And what am I to barter with?"

At that Shay paused. He pulled out a bulging purple cloth sack and threw it to me.

"And Connor," he said, "your skin is light enough to be considered Spanish or Italian. So don't act like a native and you should be treated fairly."

I caught the bag and nodded. I pocketed it and walked down the street to the only store that occupied the street. When I entered the building I looked around. It was fairly warm and I saw many items that would have been useful to somebody repairing a house.

"You lost, chief?" asked the man behind the counter. It appeared that Shay was wrong about my skin.

"Um… I… I was told that you might have weapons," I said uncertainly.

"That depends. Are you paying in coin or trade?" the man asked. I pulled the purple pouch out of my pocket and set it down, showing the silver ring that adorned my finger. The man nodded upon seeing the ring and gestured to a back room.

"They're back there. Just tell me what you want and I'll take what you need." He gestured at the bag under my hand. "Where do you want them delivered?"

"Our carriage is just down the street by the statehouse," I said pointing down towards the general direction that I had come from. The man grunted and I walked into the room he had indicated. On shelves that looked like they had been carefully arranged were several blades and knives of all shapes and sizes. I picked out a hangman's sword and a small steel knife. I placed the weapons on the counter and the shopkeeper nodded, sliding some of the coins from the pouch and handing the rest back to me.

"Give me half an hour to finish some things and I'll have your purchases delivered straight away," he said formally.

"Thank you," I replied and walked out into the street.

When I exited the store I was immediately shoved out of the way by a civilian who was running towards the square.

"There's a fire at the Customs House!" the man cried as he rushed past me. "Everyone, hurry! We must not let it spread!"

I followed them, wondering why they would care-and why they were heading towards the danger. But I noticed something was amiss. I smelled no smoke in the air or saw the glow of a fire, things I would never forget. I came to a square, only to find it filled with people, not flames. I looked around in confusion, only to see citizens screaming at the top of their lungs and throwing angry fists in the air. They surrounded a group of about ten British soldiers, who looked like they wanted to be anywhere but there. I saw Haytham standing near the building looking rather pleased with himself for some reason. Before I could near him, I saw Shay in the middle of the square, watching the events.

"What happened here?" I asked Shay. He chuckled.

"A colonist confronted the single guard about some slight, and it quickly turned violent. Haytham saw it and sent for reinforcements as a crowd started to form around the poor sod who was called out," he replied, watching carefully. "Best keep an eye out though, this could turn ugly very quickly."

"I beg of you, return to your homes," the commander of the soldiers pleaded. "Congregating in this manner is forbidden."

"The hell with you, bug!" one man yelled.

"Yeah, why don't you just go back to England and preach to somebody who cares," another shouted.

"No good will come of this chaos. Please return to your homes," the commander repeated.

"Never!" a person yelled.

"Not until you dogs have answered for your crimes!" yet another person yelled.

"This is madness," I muttered to Shay. "Can they not see that the soldiers are so scared of something happening that they might accidentally start something?"

"Aye, lad, but they don't care. They are angry with the laws the king has placed on them so they're taking it out on his soldiers. This is the way of the world," Shay replied before narrowing his eyes. "Look there. See that?" He pointed at a spot in the crowd. I looked and saw a slightly familiar white hood.

"Richard," I said venomously before starting forward, only to be stopped by Shay grabbing my arm.

"If you confront him now you'll just get in over your head. But if he's here then that means that he's here for a reason," Shay said as Richard turned away from the crowd and started to walked down the street, into a back alley. "I want you to follow him. You're better at stealth now. Make sure he stays out of trouble. If he does try something, stop him."

I nodded and slipped away into the alley that Richard had gone into. As I passed a soldier that was standing a ways away from the action, I slipped his small axe off of his belt without him noticing. Now armed, I slid behind a fence and watched Richard climb a ladder up onto a roof that was across the street from the riot. I ran up to the ladder and hurriedly climbed after him. When I got up he was pointing a musket at where Haytham stood by the Customs House. If the gunshot didn't set off the crowd nothing would. Not to mention the Templars would be down a Grandmaster and I would lose the last parent I had. I quickly rushed at Richard, raising the stolen axe as I did so, and slammed it into the side of his chest. He yelled in pain and surprise as I pulled backwards to where he stumbled. The Assassin fell on his back, facing me.

"Your plot had ended. You've failed," I snarled, gripping the bloodied axe tightly.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, savage," he hissed before putting his thumb and his forefinger into his mouth and given off a high-pitched whistle that sounded like an eagle's cry.

I turned to look at the crowd. Three people who had stood in the back now picked up stones and all threw at the same person, knocking him to the ground. The soldier dropped his musket and tumbled to the ground, but he was still conscious. Face contorted by rage, the man grabbed his musket and got to his feet.

"Damn you all! Fire!" he shouted before shooting into the crowd himself. The rest of the soldiers must have thought that his shout had come from the commander, as they too fired onto the crowd.

"See? The day is ours, Templar!" Richard sneered. "The war cannot be stopped now. The Crown will release these Colonies and the people will finally be free and at peace."

"If peace is what you truly want then why did you burn my village and start a war?" I asked, kneeling next to him. "Why cause such chaos?" Richard laughed.

"It's all about perspective. The chaos you claim exists is freedom. It gives us opportunity. An opportunity to be unrestrained by your principles and control. Our Creed allows us to do what is necessary for the good of mankind. Something you Templars will never understand," he said tightly, holding onto his bleeding chest. "As for your people, they have information that we needed. But they refused to give it to us." He spat out that last part, a little bit of blood flying out of his mouth.

"Because that is our sacred land! We would not give you the opportunity to defile it. We are just trying to avoid war. That is all we want," I said furiously.

"Do you truly think that? Do you truly think that your village is devoid of blame? You should know better! Dedicated as you are to your master and killing his enemies. Who themselves think their work to be right and just. Ngh!" He coughed again, wheezing and spitting blood. He panted before glaring back at me. "There are no paths through life that lead to peace in this world. Try as you might, there will alway be war. There will always be suffering. And you? You're just the hand that caused it. Think on that. Think on that the next time you kill heedlessly, for no other reason than because your master told you so. Think on that and see how just your actions are and how much chaos you sow." Richard laid back his head and sighed. I checked his neck for a pulse and felt none.

"You may have spoken true but that does not lessen your own crimes." I said in Kanien'kéha as I stood up.

I felt around in his pouches before finding two things that were of value. A clear orb wrapped in cloth and a list of names. I stowed both in my pockets before I stripped him of his robes. If Haytham knew something useful we could infiltrate the Assassins and disrupt their plans.

*translation: the Spirit Tree.

Richard is an OC. He never existed, he's just a figment of your, and mine, imagination


	4. Chapter 3: Boston 1770

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story. All characters belong to Ubisoft unless otherwise stated.

Thank you The-Stupidest-Author-Ever for beta-ing and partially co-writing this with me.

A/N: Connor's still wearing the out fit from last chapter. But don't worry I fully intend for Connor to put on and keep his robes.

Chapter 4

Sequence 2: Boston 1770

I folded the clothes under my arm and walked to the ladder. I climbed down and walked back to the main square, where Shay and Haytham were standing. The square was devoid of life. All around us was evidence of what had happened. Five corpses lay unmoving on the ground, with pools of blood smeared around the ground. A knocked over stall behind me, a few holes in the sides of the buildings over to my left, all left as if to remind everyone what had happened.

"I have killed Richard," I said drawing out the items and presenting them to Haytham. "He had these on him. I hope they are of use to you." Haytham picked up the list and looked it over. He then stuck it into his pocket.

"Thank you Connor," he said. "Shay, I assume that the _Morrigan_ is near here?"

"Aye sir," Shay replied. "It's docked in Harbor."

"Good. Take him and sail back to the manor," Haytham ordered. I opened my mouth to ask why we weren't traveling back in the carriage, but Haytham cut me off and explained. "The Assassins might be angry that you killed their brother. Since we crippled their naval fleet years ago, if you go over sea then it is less likely that you will be attacked."

I nodded and followed Shay through the streets to the harbor. When we arrived at the harbor, Shay led me to a thin black boat with two masts decorated with red sails, identifying it as a small brig. Shay didn't say a word as he stepped onto the deck. I looked at the small crew that milled about on the vessel. Shay walked over to the wheel and spoke to a man in a heavy leather jacket and a broad black hat that looked to made to keep water out of his face.

"I know, Gist," Shay said after a while. "And I don't mean to take her from you but I need her back for one trip."

"Very well, Captain," the man said jovially. "But after that you're going to have to join us at some point. It never really was the same after you left."

"Thank you, Gist," Shay replied, "but I don't know if I'll have time to join you any time soon. I still have things that need to be done here."

"Yes sir, I understand," Gist said, never losing his cheery demeanor. Shay grabbed the wheel and gestured for me to stand on his left side, while Gist stood on his right.

"Studs out, let's get moving!" Shay shouted.

The effect was instantaneous. Every single crew member ran to a section of the boat and began loosening sails, untying ropes or climbing up the rigging. I watched as Shay sailed right out into the harbor and navigated the wide rivers that would take us back to the manor.

The journey took us a little longer than the overland route would have, about three weeks. This was because Shay had to avoid several snow storms that plagued us. Altogether it was an unpleasant trip. When we finally arrived at the harbor I went straight towards the house hoping to catch Haytham there. I walked through the front doors and into the kitchen where I found Haytham sitting on the bench at the wooden table having what appeared to be a cup of tea and reading a report about something. On the table in front of him sat a long wooden box with the Assassin crest on it.

"Welcome back," he said, not looking up from his paper. "I trust the journey was bearable."

"Yes, it was fine," I said shifting my weight from one foot to the other. "The Assassins?"

"Gone to the wind I'm afraid, but the robes you took will be helpful," Haytham replied, finally setting down his paper. "But now that I think about it, you will need these."

He gestured to the box. I walked over it and opened it up. Inside were two bracer-like things and an ornate tomahawk. The blade of the weapon was shaped like the symbol that decorated the box and the handle was well kept but covered with dust, as if it had been setting in a cupboard for several years.

"We found those downstairs. We think they were meant for an apprentice who would have been becoming an Assassin soon after we took this place," Haytham said as I brushed my hand along the handle of the tomahawk.

"Why do I need these?" I asked as I looked over one of the bracer things.

"Those are hidden blades, the signature weapon of the Assassins. And that is an Assassin's tomahawk that we found downstairs," Haytham said, gesturing. "If you couple these with the robes then you make for a pretty convincing Assassin. Try them on."

I slid the bracers onto my arms and turned to Haytham. He looked at me for a second before nodding.

"That's acceptable," the Grandmaster said before taking a sip from his tea and cringing. "Good lord! That is awful! How do they stand that?"

My mouth twitched slightly into a smile. I set the weapons back into the box and closed it. Suddenly I heard shouting and looked up to see a man running up to the window. He seemed to be an elderly gentleman with a graying, black beard and several wrinkles on his face. He was a broad man, obviously used to lifting heavy loads. He wore a red, cone-like hat that was folded over the side of his head and flapped as he ran. He had a thick brown wool shirt that covered a white, cotton undershirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He wore thick blue pants that were tied around his waist to keep them from falling down with leather straps that went over his shoulders to further keep his pants up. Finally, he wore brown boots that just nearly went up to his knees. He ran to the window and pounded on it.

"Help! Help!" the man shouted through the window, though it was severely muffled by the glass. I threw down the tricorn hat that was on my head. Then I ran to the back door and rushed through it. When the man saw me, he ran towards me.

"You, sir, please, you have to help him!" he yelled in a panic.

"Who?" I asked as the man as he started to lead me through the woods.

"There's no time! Please, come! He's in danger!" the man yelled as he pushed past a branch that was in his way.

He led me through the woods, sprinting just ahead of me, a feat that not many could do. Eventually he led me to the river and stopped abruptly. He searched for a few seconds before pointing up stream and gasping.

"Look he's just under the bridge." the man said. I looked and saw a man holding onto a log that was floating down the river quickly.

"Help me!" the man on the log yelled.

I quickly looked down the river and saw several logs that were in the river, stuck on the rocks. I jumped across the logs until I was close enough to grab the man just as he slid off of the log and went under the water. I dove after him and dragged him up and over to shore where he doubled over the mud and coughed. I finally got a good look at the man I had rescued.

He was almost the exact opposite of the man who had run up to the house. Where his partner was broad, this man was very thin and lanky. He had short, fiery red hair and beard. He wore a thin white shirt with his sleeves rolled up, like his partner. He had green pants with a small knife strapped to his belt. He wore boot much like the moccasins that the men in my village would wear. The man kept coughing as his partner ran up.

"What this knob-end is trying to say is that he's forever in your debt, sir," the broad man said as he helped his partner off of the ground and patted him on the back forcefully.

"Who're you callin'... a knob-end?" the thin man asked as he coughed.

"You, ya bleedin' cockroach. Because you are one," the broad man said lightly.

"What were you doing on that log?" I asked the thin man as soon as he had stopped coughing.

"One of the many dangers of lumberin' I suppose," the broad man said.

"We got a camp set up half a mile or so from here. As we're cuttin' timber," the thin man wheezed. His partner slapped him on the back again, causing the thin man to take a step forward to keep his balance.

"We're hopin' to open a mill in the area," the broad man said, still eyeing his partner cautiously.

"I know a good place not far from the manor on the hill. You should ask the owner if he will let you stay," I said, pointing back towards the manor. The men looked at each other, then the broad one laughed.

"I like you already," he said, patting me on the shoulder. "We'll head there now and have a look." I nodded and followed them back towards the manor.

"Very well, those terms seem agreeable," Haytham said after the two men had a talk with him. The three men sat in the Haytham's study. The Grandmaster was sitting behind a very cluttered desk with the two lumberers and a map of the property sitting in front of him. "You can set your mill up at the bottom of the hill, here," he pointed to the spot on the map. From my spot leaning against the wall I could see the thin man smile nervously at Haytham.

"That'll do us well, sir," the broad man said.

"Well then, I think that concludes our business," Haytham said cheerfully.

"Yes, sir. Thank you for letting us stay." the broad said as he and his partner left the room. I watched them go before looking at Haytham.

"Is there anything you need me for?" I asked making to leave.

"Actually there is something I want to talk to you about," Haytham said, getting up from his chair. "That list that you gave me-our sources have determined that the names are that of the remaining Assassins."

He walked over to the hidden room and pulled on the candelabra. He led me down into the room and I saw that the table that had previously been cluttered with maps and pictures of whoever Selah had been targeting was now bare and the wall that it rested against held ten different portraits. I recognized the individual represented by the painting in the center of the nine other portraits.

"That's Achilles," I observed. "But didn't you already defeat him?"

"Yes I did, but it appears that he raised the Brotherhood from its ashes," Haytham said.

"I see," I said, though I did not see how the slaughter of an old man helped anyone.

"These are the new Assassins," Haytham said, pointing to each one in turn. "Francis Nash, Kazimierz Pułaski, Hugh Mercer, David Wooster, Joseph Warren, Richard Montgomery, Johann de Kalb, William Alexander, and John Thomas." I nodded, trying to remember all the names, only for them to mix together.

"Very well, father," I said, trying to pretend that I understood. I stared at the portraits with uncertainty, unsure if these men would pose a genuine threat to my village.

I supposed it didn't matter. They would hurt everyone they came into contact with and they showed how much damage they were willing to cause when they started a war to get what they wanted.

"Excellent," Haytham said. "I will talk to you later." I nodded, looking over the portraits. As soon as he left I looked down at the table where the pouch that I had taken off of Richard lay and leaned over the table with my arms supporting my weight. I closed my eyes and did something I had not done since I had been little.

"Mother, what should I do?" I asked in Kanien'kéha. "I want to protect our village but I am caught in this war that has gone on for centuries. I do not want to fail our people."

I opened my eyes and stood up properly. My eyes flicked towards the pouch and I grabbed it. I opened it and slid the clear orb into my gloved hand. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the globe was not completely clear. It had strange, thin, golden lines that crisscrossed along its surface. I looked at it for a second before it started to glow brilliantly. All of a sudden, bright golden lines moved through the air and the ground seemed to pulse with golden waves. I stared in awe and turned around to see if the whole room was like that.

"You are not what you should be, guardian," a voice said, coming from everywhere at once. I turned around, trying to find the source of the voice.

I saw a woman that looked much like Selah, but without all of her scars and more regal in stature. She had long, black hair that nearly touched her shoulder blades and wore a crown-like thing with a piece of white cloth that lay over her Hair. She wore a spotless white dress and had a long, white scarf wrapped around her arms. Her eyes were a deep gold. I felt like those eyes could see into my past or future. Whatever this person was, she was not human.

"Are you... a Spirit?" I asked, still speaking my native tongue. "Are you answering for my mother?"

"If that is what you prefer," she said cryptically.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"This is where you were before. If you mean to ask what you now see, this is the Nexus." the woman said. "A place where all possibilities are considered."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "How can you see all possibilities?"

"You were meant to walk a different path," she said instead. "A path you ignored. You must be reminded of your true purpose."

"What purpose?" I echoed.

"I will show you," the Spirit said. She disappeared.

Suddenly I saw images flash before my eyes. Things that hadn't happened, things that had, but mostly things I didn't recognize. My village burning with me as a child being dragged away from my mother by Kanen'tó:kon's father as I screamed for my loss. Shay in light grey robes, jumping out of the second story window of the manor as a young black man in tan robes yelled after him, pointing at where Shay was jumping. Me wearing a deerskin tunic tackling Selah on top of the rooftops with the crowd of people from the incident at the Customs House down below us.

Then came the voices to go along with the images. I saw myself wearing that same deerskin tunic, standing in front of the manor with Achilles opening the door from the inside.

"I was told you could train me," the image of myself said.

"No," Achilles refused.

I saw a man in white and red robes being held by two men in armor, screaming in rage.

"I'll kill you for what you've done!" the man yelled in an accent I did not know.

I saw a blonde man in a blue jacket with a leather vest over it and a bald black man stand in the jungle in front of a Mayan ruin.

"For years I've been rushing around, taking whatever I fancied, not giving a tinker's curse for those I hurt," the blonde man said.

I saw the same man standing over an old man in a blue jacket. They were in a stone cavern that had golden lines flowing across the walls.

"You would see all of mankind corralled into a neatly furnished prison," the blonde man voice said.

I saw shay standing over an old man in grey robes with Haytham beside him.

"You have become a monster, Shay. Hell welcomes traitors like you," the old man gasped, glaring at Shay coldly.

"Maybe I have," Shay agreed sadly.

I saw Selah cringing away from Haytham in a large bedroom.

"I wish you all to Hell!" she screamed

I saw Achilles standing in front of a man wearing Richard's robes in the entrance hall of the manor.

"Welcome to the Brotherhood," the old man said.

Then I saw same man with the same robes burying a hidden blade into Haytham's neck as the Grandmaster choked him.

"Don't think I have any intention of caressing your cheek and saying I was wrong," Haytham gasped.

I saw a man in a white hooded shirt and blue pants standing in a blue glowing cave surrounded by a young man, a young woman, and an old, gray-haired man, all of whom were dressed in clothing I had never seen before.

"I know I was really nice to you but actually, I'm just another Templar plot-twist and, yes, I would like very much for you to be controlled by a magic space wizard so that you can murder me!" hooded man yelled.

I clutched my head as the visions and words kept assaulting my brain. As quickly as they began, they stopped and the woman reappeared.

"You see? You are not what you were supposed to be," she said.

"I do not understand," I wailed. "Nothing you showed me made sense."

"You were to be the Guardian-the Protector. But your purpose was corrupted by things we could not control, and now you have become the Ravager," she explained monotonously.

As she said these words I saw a few more images. An engraved green circle made of jade and an image of a gravestone with the words Connor Davenport on it.

"And now, you will pay the consequences for it. Farewell, Ravager. May your end be swift." the strange woman said before she vanished

The gold webbing vanished and I found myself sprawled on my back in the room where I had picked up the orb. I sat up and grabbed the orb that sat a few feet away. I picked myself off of the ground and set the orb back in the pouch on the table. I sighed, thinking about what I had seen.

What did it mean? Why would the Spirit come but not give any real advice? I had more questions than answers because of her visit. Eventually I heard heavy footfalls coming down the stairs. I turned my head and watched as Shay slowly came down the stairs.

"Connor? What are you doing here, lad?" he asked as he came into the room. "Wouldn't you rather hunt than be in here?" Still shocked by what I had seen I nodded silently and walked up the stairs and out of the room.

I climbed the stairs to my room and grabbed my bow and quiver that I had made from sturdy wood I salvaged from a fallen tree during a hunt with Shay a few years ago. I strung it and slipped it across my back, where I could easily grab it if need be. I set down my hat, grabbed some snares, and jogged out of the manor.

I rushed into the forest where the sounds of the lumberers setting up camp filled the air. I could already tell that there wouldn't be much game that day. After setting a few of the snares around the edge of the woods, I climbed up into the trees (a feat that my father couldn't manage for some reason) and waited for something to pass underneath me. I slipped my bow off of my back when I saw a rabbit that was unaffected by the noise of the men. Perhaps it had been deaf and couldn't hear them. Regardless of whether or not it could hear, it would still have made enough for a stew at least. I notched an arrow and drew back the string to where my thumb touched my ear.

"He's not worth the shot," Selah yelled up from below me, scaring away the rabbit. So it wasn't deaf then. I scowled and released the tension on the string and slid the arrow back into the quiver I wore on my back. I slid my bow back unto my back, next to the quiver, jumping from the tree after I did so.

"He could have made a stew for dinner," I argued as I stood up from the crouch I had landed in.

"Are you joking? That thing was so thin it was only worth a side dish," she laughed.

"If the Spirits deem for us to only hunt the frail then we should not refuse their gifts," I said automatically reverting back to defending the Spirits. Selah looked like she was going to laugh.

"Well it looks like it's back to salted beef, oh, mighty hunter," she teased. I scowled again at her and headed to my snares before walking back to the manor. Selah laughed a little at my disapproval and jogged to catch up with me.

I walked up to one of the snares that hadn't caught anything and quickly disassembled it. Selah stood behind me as I worked and occasionally looked around, as if trying to not think about what the wire and spring was used for. We went around like this with the only highlight being the discovery that one of my traps had snapped instead of catching the animal. The bait I had set out had been eaten.

Eventually I had collected all of the snares I had set and was organizing them to where they lay neatly together. I set the materials in my coat pocket and started to walk among the trees, thinking of what I remembered of the valley where my village lay. Selah had gone back to the house, saying that watching me collect snares was boring. I walked back to the manor after a while. When I arrived I saw Shay standing in front of the house with his arms crossed. He saw me and my lack of any animals and he grinned devilishly.

"Four hours. A bit long for no haul in return," he said. "Maybe those Spirits of yours aren't as giving as you claim." I probably put on my "Spirits offended" face as Selah called it, but I opened my mouth to protest, only to be cut off by Shay. "Come on. I've got something to show you."

"What is it?" I asked

"Come with me and you'll find out, won't you?" Shay replied.

He walked away, down towards the mouth of the river. I didn't know what else to do but follow him. He led me a small shack at the mouth of the river that appeared abandoned. Shay opened the door to the shack and went inside. I looked in over his shoulder. There was nobody there, just an old desk and an old chair that sat in the middle of the room. Shay went to the desk and pulled several rolls of worn paper out of a drawer. He then turned around and walked out of the house and pointed up the river a little ways, towards a large broken boat.

"There she is," Shay said cryptically. I looked at the boat then back at Shay, confused. "She could be the fastest in the Atlantic if you give her a little love."

"She?" I asked. "Who is she?" Shay gestured to the boat.

"The _Aquila_ , lad!" Shay exclaimed, glaring at the boat a little. "The Ghost of the North Seas!"

"The boat," I stated in confusion. How could an inanimate object be labeled as she?

"B-boat?" Shay sputtered before pinching the bridge of his nose. "She's a ship! Little rafts are boats. This here, she's a beauty, a master of the seas. And make no mistake of it." I nodded, abashed at my miscommunication.

"So what is so important about this b-um, ship," I asked, quickly correcting my mistake.

"Since we've got a steady supply of wood now, I thought we might want to fix her up a bit. Make her yours," Shay explained. "You're probably going to need her for hunting the Assassins anyway."

"And why did you need the papers?" I asked, gesturing to the rolls of paper Shay held in his hand.

"These are blueprints. I used them to make the _Morrigan_ the Bane of the Seas," Shay explained "So if we can find someone who would be willing to make them for us, then we can make the _Aquila_ a force to be reckoned with."

"Once we get started how long do you think before it-she is ready to sail again?" I asked, once again correcting myself.

"I'd wager several months of hard labor," Shay said thoughtfully.

I nodded. "Shall we start, then?"

 _Six months later._

Time seemed to pass quickly after that. Days became weeks, weeks became months. During this time the snow melted and I became stronger, faster-in both body and mind. As my skills grew, so too did I. No longer was I a boy but now I had reached my fifteenth summer. It was the middle of summer before Shay had fixed the ship. He had refitted it with cannons and what he called puckle guns. He had repaired the ship beautifully, with no small amount of help from myself and Selah, and had finally deemed the ship ready to sail, provided that he could find men to crew her.

I was sitting in the crook of a tree on the day that I was to meet Shay by the dock that had been roughly constructed to safely get to the "hunk of rotting wood" as Haytham so fondly called it. I was supposed to be hunting for any spare meat I could find in the woods, but I had given up. I was too early for most animals bigger than a rabbit to be out of hibernation. I sat in the tree with my eyes closed, listening to the sounds of the forest. What I heard was something that interested me greatly.

"Connor, come on. Shay wants us down at the docks," I heard Selah call.

I opened my eyes and looked down, expecting to see her at the base of my tree. She wasn't there. I looked around and saw her crouching on one of the branches that was close to me. She was looking at me expectantly with her hands hovering at her sides. I nodded silently, slid my feet under me, and jumped down from the tree, rolling with the impact so as to not break anything. Selah jumped after me but didn't have to roll to break her fall.

"I am eager to see what Shay has done," I said, walking towards the mouth of the river with Selah close on my heels.

When we reached the docks we saw what Shay had done to the ship. It was a two masted brig that seemed to be built for combat not speed like the _Morrigan._ It had a massive pole sticking out of the front with white triangular sails that stretched out in between the front mast and the pole. It had rigging so high I could have sworn that there were birds that would fly straight into it and get tangled up in the ropes. The ship was painted white on the portions that were above the water with a dark blue on the majority of what was under the water. Shay was standing on the deck with his arms crossed, looking over his work. He turned his head at the sound of our boots crunching on the pebbles that littered the ground by the dock. He grinned broadly and raised his arms as if he wanted to hug us.

"Come aboard," he said. "Come aboard and meet the _Aquila._ " I stepped onto the gangplank and walked onto the ship with Selah following.

"Is she... sturdy?" I asked Shay cautiously, causing Selah to laugh at my trepidation.

"Aye, she'll sail without sinking," Shay said. I nodded and walked about the ship, looking it over.

"Oh, good! Now you'll be able to kill yourself even more efficiently. Why stay on dry land to die when you can just crash into a rock and get torn to splinters," Haytham's voice called from the shore. Shay laughed at the Grandmaster's annoyance.

"If you don't like it you do not have come aboard," he said.

"I plan on it," Haytham replied before turning to look at Selah. "My dear, we have found them."


	5. Chapter 4: The Kenway Manor 1770

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story. All characters belong to Ubisoft unless otherwise stated.

Thank you The-Stupidest-Author-Ever for beta-ing and partially co-writing this with me.

A/N: This chapter will be done in Selah's P.O.V. So I would like to thank The-Stupidest-Author-Ever for collaborating with me to bring you an inside look of Selah's brain.

Chapter 5

Sequence 2: The Kenway Manor 1770

"We've found them," Haytham said from his spot on the beach. My eyes widened and I was filled with glee.

"Who?" Connor asked. That name was so much easier to say than Ratoontahaygon.

"The Assassins, Connor," Shay replied for Haytham, who had folded his arms behind his back and opened his mouth reproachfully. I heard Connor shuffle his feet in embarrassment of his lack of knowledge but my eyes never left Haytham. He nodded slightly, confirming that the information was accurate.

"Let's go. They won't just wait around, will they?" I asked before vaulting the railing of the ship and landing on the gravelly beach in a roll.

Haytham started to run up to the house and I followed him. It must have been important, if Mister Never-Exerts-Himself-Ever was running. When we reached the house, Haytham led me into the study where he had been in his usual position of answering reports of the comings and going of the Assassins.

"They're at Martha's Vineyard," Haytham said as he passed me a report. "It looks like it's a relatively small operation, but you can never be too careful." I nodded.

"Do you want me and Shay go after them?" I asked.

"Perhaps," Haytham said, "but considering that went so well last time, I have a different approach in mind."

I scowled. I clearly remembered the last time Shay and I went against the Assassins. Shay almost got killed, and I almost abandoned the Order, my new home. But I would not let the same thing happen again. I didn't say anything, though. No one won an argument against Haytham.

"So what do you have in mind?" I asked.

"We send Connor," Haytham said flatly.

"What?!" I yelled. "You would send your own son?!" The man put his hands up in peace.

"Hear me out. The boy needs experience-" He was interrupted as I scoffed. "-And more importantly, he's been in contact with these Assassins. He may know more about them than any of us."

"He's a boy, Haytham, not a spy. You have a whole Order for that. His naivete will get himself killed."

"Which is why you and Shay will go with him and keep him out of trouble. If it is inevitable, prevent as much harm as possible from being done."

I felt angry. Connor was like a brother to me. A kind brother, but he was rash and naive. He still had much to learn to be a true Templar Knight. And this was not a mission for such a boy. He did not know what he was doing. He did not have the skills or the instinct. I already lost one family. I couldn't risk losing anymore I loved.

"Why is this so important to you, Haytham?" I asked before I realized the only reason he would condone this. "You're testing him. Like you tested me by sending me after the Assassins."

"I have to learn what he's capable of," Haytham said. "But you're right, he's still my son. I will do everything in my power to see him safe. But that means I have to place my trust in you. Can I do that, Selah?"

I gritted my teeth. I didn't like any of this. It was one thing to send a spare mercenary into the lion's den. It was quite another to send Connor. But, the boy vowed to be a Templar, just like me. And this was what a Templar meant. Stopping the Assassins from their plots-no matter the cost. I had learned that the hard way. Even if the Brotherhood would always be a part of me.

"You can be assured with me," I said. "I will bring him back safely." Haytham smiled.

"Thank you, my dear."

* * *

The sun was sinking into the ocean by the time the _Morrigan_ crawled into the Vineyard's harbor. It was filled with merchant ships docking for the day. Looking at the little town filled me with nostalgia. This was the place where I recognized Shay as a brother.

I leaned on the railing, hearing footsteps behind me. since they were not heavy enough to be Shay's, it was easy to determine who it was. I turned to see Connor, but I still felt uneasiness when I noticed his attire. The robes he stole from the Assassin, Richard. Since Richard was bigger than him, the white clothing was loose on him, but it looked… fitting. And that was the most terrifying of all.

"How does it look?" Connor asked.

"Ridiculous," I sneered, though it was a lie. Connor glared at me, but I only laughed. Before I could tease him further, Shay appeared.

"We'll be making port soon," he said. "Selah, you ready?"

"Just have to change," I said. Shay nodded.

"Good," he said. Connor just looked at us, confused.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Selah's going with you to the town, lad," Shay said.

"What? But, would she not be recognized by the Assassins?" Connor asked.

"And won't they notice you're too short to be Richard?" I retorted.

"Well… you're a woman," Connor said.

"Which means?" I asked, glaring at him. Connor flushed.

"Hey, now," Shay said. "We have it handled. Selah, go get ready. We'll be docked by the time you're done."

"Fine," I said.

Giving one more glare at Connor, I went below deck to my quarters. Noticing several men staring at me, I shut the door with a slam. I would have to thank Shay later for adding it just for little old me. I pulled out my new outfit and put it on.

The coat was deep brown, almost as dark as my eyes. Underneath was an ivory waistcoat, neatly buttoned save for the upper two. A golden broach of the Templar cross was attached to the waistcoat, but it was hidden by the overcoat. I wore light brown trousers, held up by a belt that presented Assassin symbol, only inverted. As a reminder that the Brotherhood lived on in me, but it too had it's faults. To complete the outfit, I wore a pair of hidden blades, brown bracers that complimented my coat nicely. I slipped on a hat, tucking my long hair underneath. I looked in the mirror and was pleased to see at first glance to any person, I looked like a man. Grinning broadly, I walked back to the deck to see the _Morrigan_ had docked.

"The local fort is Fort Phoenix," Shay said as i walked up beside him. "It was supposed to be abandoned ages ago, but it appears that the Assassins have been staying there."

"We'll go to the local tavern, see if anyone has heard any gossip from the fort," I said.

"Would it not be easier just to go to the fort itself?" Connor asked causing me to roll my eyes. This was why I didn't want him to come.

"Because I don't want to push our luck," I said. "It will be hard enough to get back to the ship if we get into trouble as it is."

"And you're less likely to run into anyone that can identify you. Nevertheless I would be careful there. Wouldn't want you to get too close to any men. Though I would love to teach them a lesson or two," Shay said.

I glared at the captain, only for the Templar to wink. Connor just looked between us confused.

"What-?" he tried to ask, but I didn't allow it. I grabbed his collar and dragged him off the ship, only letting him go once we were far enough away from the Irishman and his ship.

The tavern hadn't changed from the last time I was here. Except there were no regulars. Men filled the tables, drinking away, as Amanda, the owner, weaved between them. The tavern was full and I already felt heat from the bodies filling the room, added by fires to warm the tavern from the cold. I stood tall, keeping my disguise, and was proud Connor was playing his part. He hid in the shadow of his hood, making him look exactly like an Assassin.

"We'll split up," I whispered to him, "but stay in each other's sights. See what you can find."

Connor nodded and we went our separate ways. I leaned on the bar's surface while he took a corner of the tavern. I ordered a pint of beer in a deep voice. Just as the bartender walked away, I heard the mutterings of a pair of men beside me.

"Richard Montgomery's has been busy, lately," one of them said. "Several ships a day come by the fort."

"Investments," his friend said. "He's buildin' up a business."

"For what?" the first one asked.

"Dunno. Probably has somethin' to do with those forest blokes he always talks with. Savages, don't know why a man would waste time with those creatures."

I made a fist in fury when I realized that he was talking about the natives. I knew people did not have the same opinion of the natives as I had of Connor. Still, it was hard to hear them speak of the people I had respected since I was a little girl in such a manner. I heard the yell of a drunk man behind me.

"Hey! Richard, how've ya been?" he said.

"Um, well, thank you," Connor said, nervous. He made his voice deeper to match Richard's, but I doubted it was enough. If he spoke too long, they would realize he was an imposter.

"Wha'dya doin' in the Vineyard?" the drunk asked. "Thought ya be with the old man."

"He, uh, sent me to check on things," Connor said.

"How come? Richard said he just sent a letter to him fillin' him in," the drunk said.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I sent a letter saying I was coming," Connor said.

"No, I meant the other Richard. Montgomery. And wha'dya talkin' about? Achilles doesn't send letters to the island."

At that, I knew our cover was blown. Damn it, Haytham, you just had to send Connor along. Nonetheless, I had to help Connor. Leaving my drink, I turned around, only to run into a man standing next to me. I knocked into his drink, sending most of the liquid onto his front, causing him to yell in anger.

I muttered an apology and looked over to Connor. The drunk had grabbed the boy's collar and was in inch from his face. He did not look happy. I tried to move towards him, but the man whose drink i had spilled blocked my path. I flinched back from his breath.

"You owe me a drink," he growled.

"No, I don't," I said. "Buy your own."

I shoved passed him, only for the man to grab my arm and pull me back. It caused my hat to fall off, having my hair fall across my shoulders. The man's eyes widened.

"You're… a woman," he gasped before grinning lecherously. "Why don't we go to my room and I can forget about all this."

I didn't have a choice. I twisted my arm around so that the hand holding it was as loose as possible. I then yanked free and started to walk towards Connor who was struggling to get away from the man yelling in his face peacefully.

"Hey where're you goin', whore?" the man whose drink I had spilled called.

I stopped dead in my tracks. I remembered years ago, when I was just a girl. I had foolishly gone into a tavern alone, and a drunk had assaulted me. This time, I was no longer a girl. I looked back to the man, now remembering a story Haytham told me during the first days in America.

"I _was_ leaving," I said icily, turning to glare at him.

"And now?" he asked, oblivious to the death glare I was sending his way.

"Well now, I'm going to feed you your teeth," I said.

I landed a sucker punch to his jaw. Yep, certainly eating his teeth. He landed on the floor, unconscious. Another man saw this and angrily stood up.

"Oi, that's my-"

Before he could finish his sentence, I sent a kick to his groin. The man screamed and doubled over. I then sent my knee into his chin, sending him back. I felt strong arms suddenly wrap around me, pinning my arms to my side and lifting my feet off the floor. I merely threw my head back, hearing a cracking sound and a yell of pain. The man holding me let go, having my fall back to the ground. I immediately turned around and kicked his shin, having him fall. I then slammed my elbow into his temple, knocking him unconscious.

I looked around for Connor, only to see him wrestling with a mercenary. The man that had spoken with him was fleeing.

"That's not Richard!" he yelled. "Get 'im, boys!"

Then it was like a dog pile attacking Connor, the boy disappearing from sight. How many Assassins were there?! I saw the man running for the door. I ran after him, only for someone to throw a chair in my way. I fell over it, hearing laughter fill the air. Angry and embarrassed, I slowly climbed to my feet, glaring at the man that interrupted my hunt. The ugly fellow leaned on the bar, sneering at me.

"Where ya goin', sweetheart?" he asked.

He tilted his head back and laughed, his mates joining him. One of them was laughing so much he could barely hold on to his wasn't a problem as the wine bottle shattered into countless pieces, spilling the red liquid all over the floor. The men immediately stopped laughing as they looked between the destroyed bottle and my smoking flintlock. The drink's owner's face turned red.

"Get 'er!" he yelled.

Now I had a dog pile attacking _me_. One man charged me, completely exposed, allowing me to land a punch to his throat. I twisted to plant my foot in another's stomach, turning back around as a third man tried to punch me. I ducked and a snatched a tankard, hitting his head with it. The mercenary fell to the floor, right in front of another one charging at me. The drunk fell right on top of him. He tried to get to his feet, but I wouldn't allow it. I grabbed a chair and lifted it over my head. With a yell, I slammed it down on his head. The furniture shattered and the man fell back down.

"Selah," Connor said before blocking a drunkard with his arm and proceeding to punch his assailant in the head. "We need to get out of here!"

"I noticed!" I yelled back as I elbowed a man that attempted to sneak up on me.

Shoving past a drunk and Connor punching him in the face, we forced our way out of the tavern. We ran all the way back to the _Morrigan_ , knowing it was only a matter of time until the Assassins were alerted of our presence.

"What in the Devil-" Shay said, but I interrupted him.

"Not now!" I yelled. "Raise anchor! Get us out of here!"

"You heard her, Gist!" Shay yelled, having the good sense not to argue. "Full sail!"

"Aye, Captain!" Gist said. "Let's go, men! Get up the rigging! Let's move!"

The crew went to action at the orders and the _Morrigan_ was moving away from port in record time. Connor and I joined Shay and Gist at the wheel. I wanted to say we were making good time, but the wind was against us, slowing the _Morrigan_. It allowed two frigates to appear at the mouth of the harbor, acting as a blockade.

"Blast it!" I cursed.

"They're fast," Shay said, almost like he was complimenting them.

"That's the Assassins for you," Gist said as he crossed his arms.

"How do we get past them?" Connor asked.

"We bring the fight to them," Shay said. "Beat to quarters! Battle stations!"

The crew obeyed, manning cannons, the puckle guns, and the mortars. I wasn't surprised Shay ordered to fire the mortars first. I watched as artillery fell on both enemy frigates, ripping apart their hulls and masts. Now they were angry. The ships turned towards the _Morrigan_ , the wind with them, allowing them to come full speed.

"Uh, oh," Gist said as he peered through his spyglass. "Looks like Johann de Kalb's on one of those frigates."

"What's he doin' here?" Shay asked. "He's supposed to be in France."

"Who?" I asked.

In answer, Gist simply held out his spyglass. I took it from him and peered through it. Sure enough, at the wheel of one of the frigate was a man in a French naval uniform. He wore a blue coat and a bicorn hat. His silver hair was tied in a queue and his brown eyes were filled with fury as he glared at the _Morrigan_. A look that said he had every intention to see it destroyed.

"Uh, oh," I said.

When the ships came closer, Shay turned hard starboard, having the port side of the sloop-of-war face the incoming ships. He pointed.

"Fire!" he yelled.

All the cannons fired, having smoke cover the deck. The cannonballs hit one of the frigates while the other veered away just in time. The puckle guns fired, aiming for the weak point in the hull of the damaged ship. I jumped as they struck the gunpowder storage, making the ship go up in flames. The crew cheered in victory.

But while the _Morrigan_ fought one of the frigates, the other pulled beside her. I glanced up at the enemy ship. I saw a rifleman on the deck… aiming for Shay.

"Shay!" I screamed.

I tackled into him just as the gunshot went off. I felt pain in my arm and Shay yelled in agony. We fell onto the deck and I jumped off of Shay as soon as I could. A nasty wound was in his shoulder, blood oozing over his black coat. He grimaced in pain and held the wound.

"Captain!" Gist yelled.

"No!" Connor yelled.

Abandoning the wheel, we surrounded him, but Shay would not have it.

"Take the wheel, lad!" he ordered, pointing at it. "Get us out of here!"

"But-" Connor tried to say, his eyes wide in disbelief and fear.

"But nothing!" Shay yelled. "I taught you how to sail. Do it!"  
Connor looked to me, as if I had the answer. There was no way Shay could pilot the _Morrigan_ with a bleeding shoulder, and Gist was too old to react quickly. Meanwhile I didn't have the most intimate relationship with sailing. It was Connor who learned under Shay. He was the most capable of all of us.

"Do it," I said.

Connor nodded and took the wheel. He turned to port, going between the ships.

"Fire all cannons!" he yelled.

Wait, what? Sure enough, every cannon on both sides fired, ripping into both frigates. The volley stuck another cache of gunpowder on the damaged frigate, spreading more fire across the deck. Her crew began to jump overboard and she slowly sunk to the sea. One down. Unfortunately, it wasn't the one that held De Kalb.

His ship and the _Morrigan_ circled around each other. This time De Kalb acted first, cannonballs flew through the air straight for us.

"Brace!" Connor screamed.

I hit the deck, Gist landing beside me. Shay was already laying the floor, so he simply covered his head with his arms. There were screams as the attack impacted, destroying half the mast and taking out a puckle gun, as well as the oil barrels. Flames engulfed the _Morrigan_ , the blast hitting two young sailors.

"Fire!" Gist yelled. "Put her out before she spreads!"

The crew went to work immediately, bringing buckets of water and dumping it on the flames. I stomped on any embers near me.

"Connor! We need to retreat!" I called.

"No! We finish this now!" he said. "Fire!"

I was horrified to see the dark fury in his eyes, like he was reminded of something dark and painful. What was wrong with him? The ship was on fire and Shay was injured. We had no time for this! I couldn't protest as the crew left to tend the cannons fired, hitting De Kalb's ship once again. The mortars were quick to follow. I saw De Kalb's ship was a mess. The hull was falling apart and corpses filled the deck. A few more hits and she would be gone. De Kalb must have saw this, too. The ship suddenly turned away, out of the harbor.

"After them!" Connor bellowed, but I had had enough.

"No!" I retorted as I got into his face. "This battle is over. You are not yet ready to fight the Assassins. We retreat to fight another day." Connor glared.

"This is our chance to finish him off! If he leaves now we may never see him again!"

"At what cost though?!" I shouted flinched at that.

"I-" he started but I cut him off.

"Templars do not act on emotion," I said. "We fight for order and peace. This is not peace."

I waved my hand over the wreckage of the ship and gestured to the frigate that was still slowly sinking beneath the waves. Connor looked at Shay, who was still writhing in pain as Gist treated his wounds. I felt the heat as the flames still burned, sailors yelling orders as they continued to battle the fire. The sweat on Connor's brow showed me he felt it, too.

Connor growled angrily but turned the ship away from the fleeing Assassin. I kept quiet as we pulled away and turned towards home, deciding to not push my luck and anger him further. As the port was too dangerous, we sailed away when the fire was put out, sailing back for the manor in silence.


End file.
